Rep. Smith asks Interior Secretary to repeal White River designation

Rep. Jason Smith, R-Salem, has joined other Missouri Republicans in opposing the White River’s inclusion in the federal Blueways initiative.

Smith wrote a letter to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell asking her to rescind the January order designating the White River and its watershed as part of the National Blueways System.

Proponents say the Blueways designation of the 772-mile waterway, which flows through the Ozarks, could be a boon for tourism, economic development, and locally-driven conservation efforts. But some conservative activists fear it will lead to new federal regulations and infringe on local property rights.

“The absence of transparency by your agency on this issue has only fueled local concerns that this is nothing more than an attempt by a federal agency to gain more control over the designated watersheds,” Smith said in his letter to Jewell.